Letter From G G Nicholist to the Editor of the Sydney Morning Herald

[*PR82/8*]
AUSTRALIAN MILITARY FORCES.— 2ND MILITARY DISTRICT.

M.M
In reply please quote
No. C.S. 15,326.
CENSORSHIP OFFICE,
POSTAL BUILDING,
CENTRAL RAILWAY SQUARE,
SYDNEY,
21st November, 1916.

The News Editor,
"The Sydney Morning Herald"
Hunter Street,
S Y D N E Y.

Sir,
On 2nd instant you submitted an article headed
"HORSEFERRY,
CHAOTIC STATE OF AFFAIRS,
A SERIOUS INDICTMENT",
which was temporarily deleted pending reference to 
superior authority. I have now to inform you that the
article may be published provided that the gist of the
attached statement by the Adjutant-General is published
in the same issue.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
G. G Nicholist
Censor,
SYDNEY.
Enc.

With C. S. 15,326.

STATEMENT BY BRIG.-GENERAL V. C. M. SELLHEIM, ADJUTANT GENERAL.

Prior to the transfer of the A. I. F. Headquarters from
Cairo to London, there was a small record office at Horseferry Road,
under a Mr. Smart temporarily lent from the High Commissioner's Office.
2. On the arrival of A. I. F. Headquarters with a full
staff, the office had of necessity to be reorganised, and it was
found inadvisable in the interests of the Service to retain, Mr.
Smart at Horseferry Road though he had done good work, and he returned
to duty with the High Commissioner.

Mr. Smart who is a Journalist, or his friends, apparently
resented this, and a newspaper war was launched against Colonel
Anderson, who has practically been in charge since the end of June.

These attacks Colonel Anderson dealt with in his own characteristic
way.

3. The present attack, which appears to be an echo of those
referred to above, is generally speaking a tissue of inaccuracies and
exaggerations.
It will be obvious that the arrival of the large A. I. F.
Headquarters organisation in London and their absorption of the existing
staff, together with the complete change in policy entailed by replacing
soldiers by girls for economy's sake would cause a certain
amount of dislocation and friction, but the changes were accomplished
with a wonderful degree of smoothness, neither did I see anything of
the nature represented by Mr. Cotterell, in many surprise visits made
by me, nor was one single complaint received.

4. As regards the actual buildings at Horseferry Rd. they
were arranged for by the High Commissioner prior to the arrival of the
A. I. F. Headquarters from Cairo. They were carefully inspected by
Col. Anderson as soon as we arrived and favourably reported on, and
in this I entirely concurred. The locality is however, not an ideal
one being surrounded by mean streets but very convenient to the main
thoroughfare of Victoria Street which leads to the War Office and the
High Commissioner's Office.

It is obviously difficult to obtain ideal conditions in the
circumstances of temporary requirements for an extensive Headquarters
 

With C.S. 15,326.
-2-
during the stress of War, and after all the main consideration
is not artistic surroundings.

5. I consider the statements made by Mr. Cotterell
to be both inaccurate and intemperate.